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Loading...Cervelat is the unofficial national sausage of Switzerland, prized for its smoky aroma, fine texture, and warming blend of white pepper, cardamom, and marjoram. This homemade version combines pork, beef, and pork belly emulsified with ice water, stuffed into hog casings, hot-smoked, and gently poached until juicy. Serve it whole with coarse mustard, sliced in a buttered bread roll, or grilled over a campfire for an authentic Alpine experience.
Prep Time45 mins
Cook Time90 mins
Total Time135 mins
Servings4
Yield4 sausages (about 600 g)
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 380 kcalCalories
- 28 gFat
- 10 gSaturated Fat
- 2 gCarbs
- 0 gFiber
- 1 gSugar
- 28 gProtein
- 1100 mgSodium
- 380 mgPotassium
- 25 mgCalcium
- 2.5 mgIron
- 1 mgVitamin C
- 15 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the meat mixture
- 1 lb (450 g) lean pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 6 oz (170 g) pork belly, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 6 oz (170 g) lean beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) ice water
- 2 tbsp nonfat milk powder
For the spice blend
- 1 tbsp (18 g) fine sea salt
- 1 tsp (4 g) Prague powder #1 (curing salt)
- 1 tsp (2 g) ground white pepper
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) dried marjoram
- 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) ground coriander
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
For stuffing and smoking
- 2 m (6 ft) natural hog casings, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes
- 2 cups apple or beech wood chips, for smoking
Directions
- Place the cubed pork shoulder, pork belly, and beef on a parchment-lined tray and freeze for 30 minutes until firm but not frozen solid; chill the grinder parts and a large mixing bowl in the freezer as well.
- Combine the sea salt, Prague powder, white pepper, nutmeg, cardamom, marjoram, coriander, garlic, and milk powder in a small bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Grind the pork shoulder and beef through the coarse plate of a meat grinder, then combine with the pork belly and pass everything through the fine plate into the chilled bowl.
- Sprinkle the spice mixture over the ground meat, add the ice water, and knead vigorously with a stand mixer paddle (or by hand) for 8 to 10 minutes until the mixture becomes very sticky, tacky, and pulls cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
- Slide the soaked casings onto the stuffer tube and tie a knot at the end; stuff the meat mixture firmly but not so tight that the casings burst, forming four 6-inch (15 cm) links, and prick any visible air pockets with a sterilized needle.
- Hang the sausages in a cool, well-ventilated refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours to dry and form a tacky pellicle on the casing.
- Set up a smoker or charcoal grill for indirect cooking at 175°F (80°C); add the wood chips and hot-smoke the sausages for 60 minutes, turning once, until evenly golden and firm to the touch.
- Transfer the smoked sausages to a large pot of water heated to 170°F (77°C) and poach gently for 25 to 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 158°F (70°C).
- Plunge the cooked sausages into an ice bath for 5 minutes, then pat dry, refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and serve grilled, pan-seared, or cold with coarse Dijon mustard, cornichons, and crusty Swiss bread.
Cook’s Notes
- Keep all equipment, bowls, and meat thoroughly chilled; a fat emulsion that warms up will break and yield a grainy, greasy sausage.
- If you do not have a smoker, set up a covered kettle grill with foil-wrapped wood chips placed directly over the hot coals for an improvised hot-smoke setup.
- Authentic Swiss cervelat is traditionally left unpeeled and eaten with a pocketknife; a single sausage is often called a "Cervelat zum Mitnehmen" (cervelat to-go).
- For best flavor, rest the cooked sausages overnight in the refrigerator before reheating or grilling; the spices meld and the texture firms up beautifully.
- Sausages can be frozen raw after stuffing and skipping the drying step; thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then proceed with the smoking and poaching.
